Descent into Madness
by gone-phishing
Summary: Sequel to 'The Beginning of the End'. Stripped of their powers, exorcists and Noah alike are forced to search for the only one who can answer their questions, as well as their prayers. Disclaimer: All characters are owned by Hoshino Katsura
1. Chapter 1  Prologue

**Author's Note: Sequel to The Beginning of the End, I have finally decided on a plot for this story. This story is more of a Mystery / Crime, than an Adventure/ Family, so hopefully that change won't discourage too many readers. As always, please read and review, let me know what you think of it, and whether I should continue or not!**

**-For some reason my scene changes aren't working, as well as a name. The criminal's name is Mr. , and for all those who are confused, there was meant to be a scene break in between there but it didn't work…. This is the third attempt at uploading it, fingers crossed!**

She felt her grip on reality loosen, her vision began to blur. She was in denial, she couldn't believe what was happening.

She had felt this sensation once before, and she never thought she would again.

Death.

She could see her beloved brother Tyki fall to the floor, along with the exorcists.

This wasn't possible…why?

Why was this happening?

She could barely make out what stood before her, alas she was still able to recognize it…

HIS smile.

The same one he wore every day, but somehow different. Her throat clenched as she felt it in its final stages. She only managed to choke out one heart-breaking word.

"Why…?"

The darkness flooded her vision, and she could no longer see anything, even though she knew she had her eyes wide open…

She was falling once again, and this time…HE wouldn't be there to catch her.

"Wake up!"

Tyki didn't pride himself on knowing that he had one of the closest relationships with the young Noah of Dreams…No. That's not right either…the eldest. Even after they had found Allen, Tyki and Road remained two of the closest out of the whole family.

That's why he would recognize that voice anywhere. Although it sounded different, faltering and sounding strained, which was the exact opposite of its usual chirpy tone, he recognized it instantly. He was worried, he wanted desperately to comfort her, and tell her that it would all be alright, but something deep down told him that it wasn't. His head was foggy and his mind was clouded, but he still screamed when the previous memories flooded his brain.

Allen…His smile…

That feeling…Tyki had never experienced it before, but he knew of it all too well. They say in that moment before you find eternal peace, your entire life flashes before your eyes, and you feel calm. This certainly was not the case, the idea of 'betrayal' from his youngest sibling stung an already black heart, but what pained him more was the smile that continued to adorn his lips…

It the same one he always wore, but different.

Sure, sometimes in the ark, he could tell that Allen's 'happiness' was fake, but was it all just a lie?

Tyki would almost laugh if he wasn't hurting so much… he couldn't feel any physical pain, but the mental shock he was enduring was overwhelming. He wondered briefly what his families' reactions would be… and Road…surely she would be completely shattered, if she actually survived. It was pathetic really... everything, all his beliefs wavered, and the only thing he could believe in, was THIS, is 'dying'.

"Wake up Tyki…Please! I can't lose you! JUST WAKE UP!" The little girl cried desperately, clutching his now tear-soaked shirt with the remainder of her strength.

Two pale eyelids fluttered open slowly, revealing two piercing mahogany eyes.

It was too bright, and Tyki couldn't stop the small moan from escaping his lips. It was blinding… he could tell he was lying in the sun. He felt its warm rays caressing his cheek tenderly, as well as another source of warmth.

This one felt like it was alive, as he could feel its faint heartbeat, as well as shallow its breathing as the breath , and…whimpering?

Did he get it right?

In a clumsy attempt to comfort the petit figure, he managed to prop himself up into a sitting position, and began to pat her head affectionately. The sobs still wracked her body, as she would shudder and quiver horribly every few seconds. Tyki was never the best at comforting people, but if he could in any way ease her pain, he was willing to give it a go.

"It'll be alright Road, we'll just tell the Earl and he'll know what to do." If anything, her cries grew louder as she tried to compose herself enough to speak. After repeated false starts, she finally was able to structure a sentence.

"N-no. Tyki.. I- I can't… I… I can't do anything! He sealed them!" She broke down once more, crouching on the floor, rubbing at her eyes fiercely.

"Huh?" came the confused response from a now bewildered Tyki.

"I don't have any powers! I'm just a stupid human!" she screamed back at him, beating his chest with her hands. It may have hurt him, but Tyki was too stunned from what he had just heard.

To his horror, he was unable to use any of his powers either, as he realized he was now in his 'white' form.

Tyki actually began to take in his surroundings, and for some reason, they were in the middle of a forest. The trees were large and overhanging, creating huge shadows leaving only small gaps for the sunlight to peak through. They were in a clearing, as the only sunlight peaked through the overgrowth, illuminating the small area. Looking around, he noticed a heap of bodies near to one tree. It took him a moment before he recognized the familiar rose cross that embroided their uniforms.

Exorcists?

Were they dead?

Road noticed his distraction as she also swiveled around, noticing the mound. She was sure they were all still alive, and judging by the heaving mass and the occasional grunt, at least one of them was awake.

This wasn't good…two Noah stripped of power up against… 5 exorcists?

Why were there 6 bodies?

Ah, the finder…in any case this was not going to end well.

"Argh!"

Amongst the heap of bodies, a certain red-haired bookman was trying to find air, and failing miserably.

In frustration, he growled loudly in the hopes of waking someone up. It took him minutes of scurrying, squirming and the occasional push to reach the surface.

"Oh sweet oxygen, how I've missed you!" he announced loudly, not realizing there were two Noah watching his every move cautiously. He looked around worriedly to find he was sitting atop a mountain of exorcists somewhere in a forest…

It didn't make any sense…

One moment he was sitting at a dining table, then he felt like he was dying, and now he wakes up in a forest?

There was something seriously wrong, because for once Lavi was VERY confused. He scanned the clearing more effectively this time, noticing two figures that seemed to be hugging. He titled his head slightly to the side, before the memory hit him.

They were the other Noah at the dinner table! Why didn't they have gray skin now?...He pondered for a moment, before realizing Noah = danger. As if an instinct, he reached down to where his hammer SHOULD be, only to find the space empty.

"Where did you put my innocence!" he snarled, causing both of the Noah to swivel around instantly, revealing one distraught face and the other with a surprised one. Even this reaction caused the message to sink in further…Noah had feelings too…they were just as human as he was. Lavi attempted to compose himself enough to speak in a proper manner, more like a Bookman, before the silence was interrupted with laughter. He eyed the smaller one curiously as she was now rolling on the floor, clutching her sides, laughing and crying at the same time.

"So he got you guys too?" she more stated than asked, pointing at him, still giggling slightly. Road patted the ground next to where she was lying, indicating that he should take a seat. Lavi couldn't stop the low growl that escaped his throat at her comment.

Allen was one of the few people he considered to be a friend, even as a bookman, and today's events had completely shattered his view on life.

Lavi sighed once more, before ripping himself out of the heaving mass known as his comrades, then stalking over to where to two Noah were seated.

"You're the Bookman apprentice, right?" the smaller of the two asked curiously, holding her index finger to her lips and tilting her head to the side slightly. She truly looked like an innocent little girl, if Lavi didn't know about the thousands of deaths she had caused with those hands, then maybe he would have thought of her as just that.

He nodded stiffly, unwilling to show any emotion to these Noah.

"Okay, then I think it should be best to tell you our dilemma. I'm Road, this is Tyki." She said, gesturing to both herself and Tyki respectively.

She reached out to shake his hand, as he returned to offer, replying "Lavi." He reached out and shook the other's hand too, but the older looking Noah looked too stunned to actually participate in the conversation.

"To cut a long story short, we're in the same position as you." Road spoke up, breaking the silence as Lavi's jaw dropped.

"S-so you mean you're not a Noah?" he stuttered back. She burst into laughter once more as Tyki sighed, rubbing his temples.

"Not quite, boy, we still ARE, but Allen technically has our powers, just as he has your innocence." Understanding spread over Lavi's face in an instant, as he broke into a wide grin.

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully before replying "So Noah powers are like equipment type innocence?" At this, Road started laughing even harder, as Tyki was finding it difficult not to do the same.

"Not at all, boy. The only one in the world that can 'seal' Noah, is Allen- just as he is the only one who can absorb innocence, as well as Akuma." Lavi's jaw almost hit the ground upon hearing this.

"Listen, record our conversation like a good Bookman, but by the end of the day, no matter how much I don't like it, we are going to need your help to find him…Allen, that is." Lavi nodded mechanically, listening intently to what the Noah had to say. Road was the first to speak up after finishing her laughing fit.

"Tyki… I was meaning to discuss this with you earlier but I never got the chance. If you remember ages ago, I was in his subconscious and viewed his memories, so to speak. Being the Noah of dreams, I can tell the clear difference between memories and dreams, but there was something wrong with Allen. His memories…they didn't feel right….It felt like…they WERE memories, but not his…"

Tyki's eyes almost bulged out of his sockets when he heard this, as Lavi recorded it like a bookman was meant to.

"So, this got me thinking back then, that I should investigate it. Out of all the things I discovered, there was one that set me on edge…."

Tyki raised an eyebrow while searching for a cigarette in his back pocket nonchalantly.

"You mean about the 'Fallen Angel'?" He asked, as she nodded solemnly.

"It wasn't that which surprised me…I looked over his past and I did the working…there are two years missing…" Tyki tilted his head to the side slightly...he was never an ace at math.

"What do you mean exactly?" he inquired when he found the lighter for his cigarette.

"I did some research, and I found that there were two years of his life where he….to put it simply, disappeared off the face of the earth… He wasn't with the circus troop, nor Mana, nor us, nor the exorcists…we need to find out where he was."

Tyki tilted his head to the side slightly, confused with the whole situation.

"But Road…surely he was just on the street somewhere?" Road shook her head solemnly before turning back with a cold gaze.

"I already considered that…but the fact remains. Those two years, it is like his memory was erased…." Lavi couldn't help but ask in this situation, being a bookman thousands of pieces of data flew around in his head all the time, but somehow, all the pieces seemed to match this particular case.

"How old was he at this time?" Lavi asked worriedly. Both Noah turned around, mildly frustrated with the interruption, but answered nonetheless.

"I think about 6...", she replied, scratching her chin thoughtfully. Lavi almost jumped in surprise…somehow it all started to make more sense.

"I think he might have been in an orphanage." Lavi replied biting his nails nervously. Road raised an eyebrow, as Tyki cracked up in laughter.

"What makes you think that, bookman jr?" she retorted coldly, pointing at him once more. Lavi couldn't help but let an all knowing smile spread across his lips.

"You're right, I am Bookman Jr, which means I have a photographic memory along with more knowledge than some entire nations…That isn't important right now, but from what you've told me, it seems like it was most likely that he WAS in fact in an orphanage."

Road raised an eyebrow once more, trying to search for whatever evidence he was backing his statements up with.

"You see, it is one of the things that even bookman and I have almost no knowledge of…the orphanages. I remember hearing once about one in particular… it was controlled by the government at the time…Do you know what that means?" he asked, jabbing a finger in the direction of the two confused looking Noah.

Both which shook their heads slowly.

"It meant that it was a government testing facility, under complete control of the Vatican."

"Mr. , you will answer my question! Out of the 12 murders you have committed in the last 3 months, why did you kill the Director of Child-Welfare, Dr. Teren? In all your other murder cases, you've claimed righteousness, as the people you killed were all 'trash', so why kill someone like him? He completely disproves your theory, as he was a family man with a heart of gold….Unless, you didn't do it for yourself…" The detective trailed off, given only a cold stare in return.

Silence.

Minutes later the criminal broke out into insane laughter. In an instant, his smile was replaced with a look for resentment.

"That one….left a bad aftertaste…" he replied coldly. The detective was practically on the edge of his seat.

He was finally talking!

"I killed him, because he asked me to…" The detective was standing upright with his fists clenched on the table.

"No….I'm not sure if you can call it 'he'."

The detective replied in the calmest voice he could, trying to understand the situation.

"You don't know what gender he was?"

More laughter.

It died down soon enough as the criminal shuddered.

"No. 'It' would be more fitting.. I met it. A true monster…." He whispered maniacally before being dragged out of the room.

_Become the killer…_

_A library… the non-fiction section…why this section?_

_Is there a reason?_

_There has to be…nothing is just coincidence…_

_It is broad daylight…there is a high chance I'll be caught…yet I stay anyway._

_I look around for him, the picture I was given was hand-drawn, yet detailed enough._

_It took a moment to find him… three gun-shots, he collapses…_

_I don't even bother to run, and just stand there waiting to get apprehended by police…_

"It doesn't make sense!" the detective shouted to no one in particular. He was on his way to the crime-scene, trying to find the missing piece.

There must have been some communication….

Before he knew it, he had arrived, but was too busy reenacting the scene in his mind to notice. He stepped out of the carriage almost mechanically as he gazed up at the looming figure ahead.

It was a library, a large, expensive one at that. It had brilliant marble decorations, along with two stone lions standing alongside the front entrance. It would make an amazing masterpiece if it was not stained in blood… He kept walking down the long corridors as his footsteps echoed through the hollow halls.

_Tap, _

_Tap, _

_Tap. _

Bright police tape covered the entrance to the non-fiction section, yet he crossed anyway, partly due to his responsibility, and partly to do with his own burning curiosity. It didn't take long…

_Tap,_

_Tap, _

_Tap. _

He was at the scene…the white chalk outlined where the corpse was found only hours ago. It was dark now, as the preciously radiated hall was blanketed in shadows.

_Tap,_

_Tap,_

_Tap._

The inspector shot around instantly, pulling out both his torch and his gun. He had long stopped moving to examine the blood spatter….those footsteps were not his own…

Maybe it was his mind playing tricks on him?

He sighed, and attempted to shrug it off, turning his attention back to the crimson that matted the carpet. His blood froze as the moonlight seemed to shimmer off its surface…

That…that shouldn't be possible.

Slowly, agonizingly slowly, he reached down, placing one finger in the pool of blood…..

Fresh….

The incident had occurred hours ago…

Blood dries fast…

Why was it fresh?

A small voice in the back of the detectives mind screamed danger, and to run for his life, but he literally couldn't move his legs. It was like they were no longer under his command.

He turned the torch back to the shelves, attempting to distract himself from what he reasoned, and prayed was paranoia.

He scanned them hastily as they all appeared to be regular history books. One caught his eye, it was slender, only a finger in width, but what caught his eye was the moonlight that was glinting wickedly off its surface…

Wait…it was just like….

In silent horror, he ripped the small, fragile looking book from the shelf, noticing the crimson stain that immediately smeared on his hands.

Its spine was coated in blood….

Fresh….

What does this mean?

He held the torch wearily over the front cover….

A picture book?

It was decorated scarcely with a rather crude sketch of a monster on the front. It had black holes for eyes, along with a hunch making it appear to be standing on all fours. It was wearing a shawl that covered up to its ankles, wearing a top had that covered most of its hair. A few strands were escaping the hat, collapsing down onto its rough, green face….

He didn't know what it was about the monster that sent chills down his spine, but he could swear the temperature actually dropped a few degrees. The title of the book was in another language…it looked like Hungarian.

In a hurry, he pulled out a translator from a nearby shelf. Skimming over the pages, he translated it as quickly as possible. He pulled out a note-book and recorded its name, just in case something happened.

"'The Monster Without a Name' huh?" he remarked as casually as possible, alas the tell-tale signs of fear began to seep through.

_Tap, _

_Tap, _

_Splash. _

He was sure it wasn't his imagination this time…he could hear the echo of boots on the marble floor…but the last sound…it was like someone stepped in a shallow pool.

As if on cue, his torchlight flickered momentarily before extinguishing. He felt like screaming, crying, begging for mercy but somehow, he knew that he would receive none.

He turned around, slowly, so slowly until he was facing the figure looking down on him.

The moonlight caressed his cheeks almost lovingly, along with his glimmering silver hair and his childlike features, he could be considered an angel. The only blemish on the perfect face was a black scar that ran from the cheekbone to the forehead ending with an upside-down star.

The detective was not fooled, in his line of work; this kind of person was the most dangerous, the most deadly, the most unstable. The most tell tale signs of insanity…his eyes. If they could even be called that, the swirling gray orbs actually seemed to glow brighter than the moonlight. Somehow, the detective knew not to look into them…The 'angel's' smile grew even wider when it bent down, so it was eye level with the frozen detective.

No words could describe the extreme tension, the agony and the oppressive weight of the silence. The detective now knew…the figure was clearly male, but….the only word that could describe the pure terror which was emitted, the terror that actually seemed to form a toxic cloud that hung over the heads of any living creature nearby….the only word that could describe 'it'.…

…Monster.

Cold sweat broke out on his forehead as it actually felt like his blood was freezing. The Monster slowly lifted its hand, pointing to the book the Detective now clutched feebly. The Monster smiled once more as he mouthed once simple word, letting the Detective know it was all over.

'Mine'.

No one heard the screams that echoed the library that night, just as no one saw the living nightmare that caused them.


	2. Chapter 2  Allies?

**Author's Note: Short chapter, I know. Hopefully everything shouldn't be AS confusing now, but please tell me if anything doesn't make sense. The name of the criminal is still saying it doesn't go through, so here is my fourth attempt at posting it. It was Mr. , sorry for the mess-up. As always, please read and review, and thank you to everyone who does. ^-^**

"A testing facility?" both Tyki and Road questioned, horrified.

"Even the Bookman know almost nothing about it, but we do know that anyone who made it out alive had no memories whatsoever…" he trailed off, glancing at the ground attempting to contemplate what this could mean.

"Judging by the wildlife and the kind of trees, I think we're somewhere in Hungary, which is close to where the orphanages were… I think if we find them, we'll find Allen." Both Tyki and Road murmured in agreement, but were then but cut off by a loud moan.

Everyone's eyes turned about around to reveal the mound of bodies shifting and…imploding?

"W-fghhh tshhh hell!" a deep voice groaned/ screamed from deep underneath the pile. Moments later, a very red Krory crawled out of the bottom with his arms twitching in irritation.

Both of the Noah peered curiously at the tall, Romanian looking man, who could have actually been Dracula's reincarnation. It wasn't until he opened his mouth to speak when the group noticed the…well, lack of teeth.

Lavi couldn't control himself as he fell of the floor, literally laughing his ass off. Both Noah had no clue what to think, as they didn't really understand what was so funny. Lavi realized their confused expressions before deciding to explain, while poor Krory stood there, exasperated.

"You see, Kuro-chan over there has parasitic innocence…in his teeth!" he yelped before falling back into a fit of laughter. Within the second, Road was also rolling on the ground laughing while Tyki tried to appear more sophisticated, but still smirked.

Krory immediately scowled before falling to the ground, weeping. After minutes of relentless sobbing, he finally attempted to talk once more.

"washsh happshenes?" Both Road and Lavi doubled over fits of laughter as Tyki sighed.

They were getting nowhere.

Taking initiative, Tyki gestured to the ground.

"Write it."

Krory attempted to stop his sniffles, and began to write. He was done moments later before he pointed to his message.

What happened?

Road eyed him curiously before sighing and replying "I'll give you the full story when that mound wakes up, but for now to cut a LONG story short, we are all in the same position. Stripped of our powers, we have to find Allen."

Krory couldn't stop the gasp from escaping his lips, leaving him to ponder over the true meaning of her words.

Road turned back to Lavi with a stern gaze before asking "Why don't the bookmen have any records of them?"

Lavi simply shrugged then replied "All the records were destroyed after something they called 'The incident'." Road and Tyki both gasped as Lavi shrugged once more.

"We don't know anything about that either, all we know is something happened which caused all the records to be destroyed…"Road shuddered. To everyone's surprise, Krory still had tears in his eyes as he pointed to the ground once again.

Am I alive?

Road nodded slowly, as did Lavi and Tyki in turn. They were all not entirely sure why, having all experienced the sensation of death, surely it would make sense that they were dead….But somehow, they weren't.

"I don't know why we are….or what actually happened; all I know is the only one who can give us answers is Allen." Road replied, shaking her head slowly.

Just because she had her Noah sealed, didn't mean that she automatically enjoyed the company of exorcists…they were just as annoying as ever, yet the constant bloodlust was missing. It was odd, not feeling the constant need to destroy, but Road pinned it down to none of the exorcists even had their innocence with them… She was brought back into reality by muffled yelling.

Turning back to the pile, she noticed that some more had woken. A fairly large man stomped out in a finder's uniform muttering curses, as a petit woman crawled out, whispering "Sorry…"

"I'm gonna kill him!" roared the finder, still stomping about as if he actually had some form of power. His statement sent Road back into a fit of giggles, it was truly funny to see such a weak human act this way….

Wait, I'm a human now aren't I…

The thought struck hard as she immediately stopped laughing and her face turned serious.

"We're waiting for the other two to wake, so please be patient.", She stated, slightly impressed with her manners. Allen would be proud if he heard, all the years of attempting to teach her manners may have actually sunk in.

The cries of the brown-haired woman grew ever louder as she ranted about how useless she was, and after she realized her innocence was missing, there was hardly a pause in her stutters to even attempt to comfort her. Road had never been particularly 'good' at comforting others, so in a rushed attempt, she used Skinn's method.

She ripped a piece of chocolate from her jacket at threw it at the woman's face. This immediately shut her up, as she was completely frozen, trying to comprehend what had just happened.

Road sighed once more before explaining "Chocolate makes you feel better, human, Noah or exorcist. Just eat it and shut up."

Tyki gasped in surprise.

Was ROAD showing COMPASSION for an EXORCIST?

This day couldn't get any weirder….

The sun began to dip below the horizon, alas both bookman and Lenalee had yet to wake. The most part had been spent with the Finder, now deemed Finn, staring daggers at the two Noah, who in turn returned the gesture. Both Miranda and Krory were both not particularly comfortable being in the presence of two Noah, but stayed because Lavi assured them it would be alright. Lavi however was deep in thought, attempting desperately to dig up any information he could about the orphanage, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't think of anything. The two Noah were also lost in thought, but theirs revolved around Allen. Road was musing over possible theories when one thought completely disproved Lavi's theory.

"Hey!" she almost screamed, effectively gaining the attention to every conscious being within a 100 yard radius. She pointed at the red-head once more with a pout, making him sweat drop.

"What?" he retorted with a shrug. She scowled once more before wagging her finger as if explaining to a 5 year old.

"Lavi, from what you've said, if they erased the memory…Then how does he know his name?" Lavi's jaw dropped, he hadn't considered that.

He scratched his chin thoughtfully before replying "Well, that either means; he wasn't at the orphanage, or the memory erase didn't completely work….or….Allen isn't his name."

Road had already reached the latter as a conclusion as she nodded slowly. The whole group was wearing startled expressions; even the usually calm Tyki had shock plastered all over his face.

Road sighed and stood up gazing up at the stars with a transfixed expression. She shook her head once more before announcing "I think we should find a place to sleep. Lavi, carry Miss. Sleepy-Head over there, and Krory carry Bookman."

"Panda" Lavi corrected with a mischievous grin. Lavi strolled over to where Lenalee and the Panda were unconscious…Komui may have murdered The Old Panda if he had been present.

Lavi chuckled at the mere thought, before hauling Lenalee over his shoulder, then watched Krory do the same with The Old Panda. Lavi shuddered at the thought of what Komui would do if he saw Lavi holding Lenalee like this….he would probably be a dead man.

With Lavi as a guide, the group of 8 slowly made their way to the nearest town. With Lavi leading them, getting lost was an impossibly…Heck, Lavi and lost should never even be put in the same sentence….Unless 'moyashi' is somewhere in there as well.

The walk took almost 3 hours of slow trudging, but eventually they reached the outskirts of a rather bustling large town.

The time flew by for the most part; Lavi was deep in thought, trying to recall information about the orphanages, Krory was attempting to speak with no teeth…no, it wasn't working. Miranda was trying to comfort her comrade, whereas Finn was stomping the whole way, fuming and ranting about what he was going to do to Allen when they found him. Road had grew tired of walking quickly, and without having Lero to ride on, she used Tyki as a substitute. She was perched on his shoulders, getting a piggy back and almost falling asleep several times. Tyki honestly didn't mind, it seemed to help take her mind off her troubles, as well as his off his own which they both desperately needed. Bookman and Lenalee were still unconscious, remaining ignorant of the situation at hand.

It was a worrying thought what Lenalee would do if she woke up, seated next to two Noah….

It took longer than expected to find a hotel that Lavi deemed suitable. First it had to be by the library, so they could research the next morning, and it had to have enough rooms to house them all, which was a requirement they failed to meet.

They ended up all staying in the same room, though the hotel was conveniently placed next to the library.

As soon as Lavi had laid eyes on it he gawked at how large it was. It was magnificent, crafted precisely with marble, as well as two stone lions standing out the front gate. The group thought Lavi would never leave, until a carriage showed up, obscuring his view. He stalked off, back to the hotel muttering about high class people. It didn't take long for everyone to collapse in the room from exhaustion, and succumb to slumber soon after.

No one heard the screams that echoed the library that night, just as no one saw the living nightmare that caused them.


	3. Chapter 3  Message

**Author's Note: **

**No matter what I try, the name won't go through… Oh well.**

'**The Monster Without a Name' is from Monster, because I decided to use it in this FF. I don't own it, it belongs to Monster, but I just loved that idea and decided to use it. **

**The main character IS Allen, but the FF is focused on finding him, so for the moment, other characters are in it more than he is. **

**Kanda was with Tiedoll's group, so he didn't get trapped in ark/ lose his innocence, but I haven't forgotten about him, so don't worry.**

**As always, please read and review, and thank you to everyone who does.**

Lavi slowly peeled open his eyes to reveal a dark, cramped room blanketed in shadows. No one else was awake…the sun probably hadn't even risen yet… Lavi had only woken because he had heard muffled yells. He assumed they were coming from outside, yet that still didn't explain why people were awake.

Sighing, he made his way over to check if Bookman was awake. Lavi prodded the Panda several times with his index finger, each time achieving no response.

He buried his head in his hands, how had everything gone to hell so quickly?

Everyone was so….vulnerable.

He sighed once more, glancing around the room for any signs of anyone being awake. He was about to give up and just go back to bed when he spotted the two Noah eyeing him curiously.

He beamed a smile, seeing as he might be able to tell others what he was thinking. He gestured for them to follow, as he cautiously stepped around the slumbering bodies and slowly made his way to the door. He tried to open it as silently as possible, but it still creaked loudly. Upon hearing this, both Noah hurried their pace, reaching the door moments later, leaving Lavi to shut it with a soft click.

They entered the foyer. Still, not a single soul was walking about, yet the noise level increased. It was then that Lavi noticed the swarm of police outside, whispering to each other with hushed voices. Lavi charged out, attempting to find an officer with some authority. It didn't take him long to spot the chief of police.

He was a large man, with stubby, plump fingers and a constant scowl. He wore the uniform of a chief, along with his badge, although it looked a few sizes too small. Lavi instantly rushed over, leaving Tyki and Road to trot behind drudgingly. Lavi was next to the large man within the instant, as he tapped him on the shoulder politely.

"Excuse me, may I ask what happened here?" Lavi asked as politely as possible. The chief bellowed with laughter, clutching his sides.

"What, you think I'm just going to tell you, civilian?" he spat, his ever constant scowl deepening.

"I'm from the Black Order…" Lavi retorted calmly, whilst smirking at the gasp from the chief.

"I-I'm sorry sir." He stuttered back, stunned at what he had just heard. The chief had never met anyone from the Black Order, but his superiors held them in high regard, as an organization working directly under the Vatican… meant they had ultimate power.

"What happened?" Lavi asked again, losing his patience slightly so it sounded like he was snarling at the frightened chief. Stuttering the whole way, the chief recited the incidents that had occurred in the past day.

"Yesterday, at exactly 14 hundred hours, and every hour from then on, a government / ex government official was slain, and reached a total of 5. In every case, the murderer didn't leave the crime scene, and merely waited to be arrested.

The detective hired to work on the first case, which occurred in the Library, was found dead with three large stab wounds in his chest."

At this Lavi raised an eyebrow.

"What were the criminals' names?" Lavi inquired, in a cold tone.

"In the order of the crimes…. , Retsnom, Outwith, Mr. A, and Eman. We assume they are all aliases." Lavi nodded thoughtfully…something just wasn't right with those names…he was sure something was hidden, but decided to take a look at the crime scene first.

"Oh! Mister, There was one more thing…there was a message." The chief yelled after a fleeing Lavi. He broke into a run, completely missing the disgusted expression that soon covered the Chief's face. The two Noah trotted behind him, still fairy groggy…it was far too early to be awake, yet neither of them was able to sleep.

In no time, they reached the crime scene. It was eerily quiet, as most of the investigators were still outside. It was the non-fiction section…Lavi considered this. There was no way it was coincidence…there had to be a reason.

Glancing around, one of the first things he noticed was the immeasurable amount of blood. It stained the marble tiles for meters around the actual corpse.

Lavi then scanned the bookshelves...there must be something,… Lavi couldn't hold the gasp when he spotted some dried blood on the shelf.

The books on either side of the stain cascaded into each other, almost as if some book had been ripped out… Lavi turned back to the corpse, immediately noticing the Hungarian translation dictionary that lay strewn by his side.

It was also soaked in blood…

The clues kept piling up, though Lavi still had no idea what they all meant.

"Three stab wounds to the chest, caused by something large and extremely sharp. To leave holes in that shape, the object was probably over a meter long….Judging by the amount of blood, he bled to death slowly as the stabbing did not hit any vital organs." Tyki remarked casually, while still studying the corpse.

Lavi nodded shakily as Road barely even looked at it. She had seen enough corpses, most of which slain by her hand to realize what happened to the unfortunate fellow. Lavi was busy studying the corpse's face…it was twisted into a face of pure fear, as his eyes were wide-open and his mouth stretched into a silent scream.

He then noticed the positions of its arms… they were at his sides, as if he were desperately clutching something before he died….

Odd…

Lavi reached out and touched its hand gently. He shivered at how cold it was, before realizing there was something crumpled up in its hand. Lavi's eyes widened, as he attempted to pry open the stiff hand.

Again, and again but with no result, he called over Tyki and Road to help.

With the combined effort of all three, the hand finally released its grip as the crack of the shattering of bone echoed throughout the marble halls. Lavi gulped as he reached down and began to un-crumple the paper. Its edges were coated in blood, yet the message remained clear. Lavi's jaw practically fell off when he read hastily written scrawl.

_The Monster Without a Name_

"I've heard that before!" he shouted, while grasping the paper. Both Tyki and Road proceeded to read the message before their own eyes budged.

"It was a book, a picture book. I have never read it myself, but I've heard of it…" he trailed off, gasping once more as the murderers' names flooded back into his head….. Lavi instantly pulled out a notebook and pencil from his back pocket as he wrote them down.

_Retsnom, _

_Outwith, _

_A_

_Eman_

He couldn't stop another gasp escaping his lips as they began to rearrange themselves in his head.

_The_

_Monster_

_Without_

_A_

_Name._

Lavi's eyes drifted back to the bookshelf, where the bloodstain and hole was. There was no longer a doubt in his mind…the book that was missing was 'The Monster Without A Name". It explained everything, why there was a Hungarian translator….The detective must have picked it up…Translated the title…then…..was murdered. Lavi shuddered, he didn't want to believe this was the work of Allen, but his instincts told him that he was right…

_Drip…_

Lavi almost yelled when he saw the droplet of crimson fall from the roof. It landed with a soft 'splash' when it collided with the floor. Lavi then looked down once more, when he shuddered heavily. He had been too absorbed in the body, that he failed to notice the pool of crimson he was leaning on, was NOT dry.

In fact…it seemed….fresh?

Road and Tyki were speechless, they too had failed to notice the liquid, but what was more terrifying, was it was now falling from the sky?

Every occupant of the small area gazed at the ceiling, alas this time, none were able to contain their gasps of horror. Upon the ceiling, there was a message…Just like the chief had said…though he hadn't pointed out it was made of limbs that were all bleeding profoundly.

Lavi covered his mouth, in a desperate attempt to hold the bile that was crawling its way up his throat. It was like someone had just cut off hundreds of limbs, be it arms, legs or heads, and stuck them to the ceiling.

Lavi crawled away as fast as he could until he was away from the corpse, before he let loose the disgusting liquid that was continuously filling his mouth. He looked down as his previous days nutrients spilled out onto the floor in a disgusting manner. Once the vile stench reached his nose, he was unable to hold the rest that then splashed over the once brilliant marble.

Both Tyki and Road covered their noses, as well as averted their eyes.

"Lavi…" Road stuttered, sounding slightly worried.

"I…I think it IS a message….but it looks like it's in Hungarian….can you read it?" Lavi clutched his churning stomach desperately, praying that no more would find its way to his mouth. He glanced back to where the Noah were, before looking back up to the 'message'.

"Nézz rám! Nézz rám! A Szörny énbennem birtokol felnőtt ez nagy!" Lavi muttered to himself, while translating the sentence in his head.

"Look at me! Look at me! The Monster inside me has grown this big!" Lavi gagged once more, and even Road and Tyki looked disturbed.

Road took the incentive, and dragged Lavi by his collar away from the scene. They began to walk back to the hotel, leaving the crime scene, as well as the message, behind them.

They were a wreck…both mentally and physically, and it showed. Road had bags under her eyes, and looked like she hadn't slept in weeks.

Tyki had the same, but was also wearing a disturbed face.

Lavi on the other hand, looked like he had just had a severe mental breakdown. His hair was messier than usual, and he looked as pale as a ghost. Not to mention he was soaked in blood, as well as his own vomit. All three of them were shivering violently as they exited the building, not so much from the freezing temperature...no, it was the weight of what they had just witnessed.

Once they arrived back at the hotel, Lavi was the first in the shower for obvious reasons, as Tyki and Road sat on the bed, still too stunned to talk.

Only one thought was racing through all of their minds…

_Allen….Who are you?_

**Another Author's Note :D.**

**Evil Allen is Evil.**

**I just wanted to point out, since the name STILL didn't go through, it was just 'the' with the letters rearranged.**

**Also, before everyone criticizes me, Lavi is in no way 'weak', it is just that with Akuma killings, there is only dust, no real gore. He is only so conflicted in mine, because he considered Allen to be someone who couldn't harm another living thing, and after witnessing something like that, it took its toll. **

**That's all, ill stop now before I start to drabble…too late. Thanks for reading, see you next time!**


	4. Chapter 4  Slumber

**Author's Note: Sorry for the late update, this one is 4,000 words which is almost double what I usually write. Please read and review, and tell me what you think. **

**1 Day update: 1,500 – 2,500 words**

**2 Day update: 2,000 – 4,500 words**

He simply sat there as the water splashed continuously on his back as he was leant over. He physically couldn't bring himself to stand up, it was if the metaphorical weight of what he had witnessed was bringing him down, literally.

He bashed the wall with the side of his fist in frustration. His hair was a tangled, matted mess that clung to his forehead, while his headband and eye patch both lay off to the side. He clenched his teeth, as well as his fists as memories flooded his brain. Once again, he smashed the side of the shower, denting it slightly. He glanced down at his feet, watching the red water swirl away into the drain.

He sighed once more…everything that was happening was just… too much.

He still didn't know why the Panda, nor Lenalee could wake…it didn't make any sense. Lavi let loose a low growl, he was sure Bookman would know what to do next in this situation…

It was odd to admit it, but Lavi had started to sorely miss the random kicks to the face, as well as slaps to the back of the head….in his own way, Bookman was showing affection. Well, that's what Lavi assumed…or rather, hoped.

He sighed once more as the warm water trickled down his head, forming torrents that flowed off his face. He gnawed his teeth together as he tried to think of how to proceed in the investigation. Maybe they should interrogate the criminals! It was a good idea.

They may know something about Allen, or may be able to actually explain just what the hell was going on. Coming to a conclusion, he stepped out with an added spring in his step, dressing quickly and leaving his sorrows, frustrations and fears behind. He was a Bookman, he had no heart for any of those emotions to be placed anyway…

He emerged to a room full of voices- Some yelling, others muttering, some even whispering 'sorry'. Glancing around the small room, it was not difficult to figure out there was some form of argument going on.

Finn had his fists raised as well as his jaw set in a firm line. It was obvious Krory was attempting to same, but without teeth it looked….odd, to say the least. Miranda was on the ground, sobbing and clutching her head, as it seemed the ever present dark rims around her eyes had darkened at least three shades.

It appeared on the opposing side of the argument the two Noah were slumped over the ground, seemingly uninterested in whatever they were arguing about. Lavi was the first to break the increasingly awkward silence by coughing daintily. All eyes in the room were immediately focused on him, except for the unconscious Lenalee and Bookman of course.

He gave a small sheepish smile in return as he rubbed the back of his head.

"So, um, what is going on?" he remarked, shrugging in time to add emphasis on the question. Finn was the first to speak up.

"These 'Noah' won't tell us why your clothes were…stained." He spat, adding so much loathing to the work 'Noah' it seemed he would start yelling any minute, which was entirely possible.

Both Tyki and Road shrugged nonchalantly as if it was none of their business. Lavi tried to give a comforting smile, to calm his comrades down, but it came out as an oddly shaped frown which raised more than a few eyebrows. Road decided that they were getting nowhere, so she stood up, effectively gaining the attention of every occupant in the room.

"I think someone should take Lenalee and Bookman back to the Order so that they won't become a burden…." She trailed off, looking at the ground slightly guiltily. Her suggestion earned her glares from almost everyone in the room, except for Tyki, of course, who just smirked at her statement. Lavi didn't stop the scowl that soon covered his face, even though her suggestion made sense, he still wanted to believe that they would wake…hell, he was more than believing, he was praying that they would!

"Why won't they wake? Did you DO something to them?" Finn snarled in response, raising his fist once more. Both Tyki and Road merely chuckled at this, before Road's face turned into one of mockery.

"Are you people that stupid that you haven't realized it yet? It's easy to tell that they won't wake…" she smirked at the audible gasps she achieved from everyone in the room. Tyki chuckled once more as Lavi grimaced. As much as he didn't want to believe it, he knew exactly what Road was talking about. After no one interrupted, apart from Tyki, she continued her explanation while tapping her fingers in time to something.

"It's easy to tell, because their heartbeats are….off. They aren't normal... this usually happens when a victim is in a coma, so I only assumed they are in coma-like states."

Once again, the whole room murmured in shock and worry, as Lavi clenched his fists once more. Even though he knew that was coming, it didn't make it any easier to hear that the only person one earth like you may never wake. Tyki spoke up this time, interrupting the chorus of whispers.

"Now, on to who should stay, and who should go…Road, will you do the honor?" he asked nonchalantly, grabbing another cigarette from his back pocket. Road grinned in response before turning back to the group, pointing to everyone in turn.

"You." She said pointing to Miranda.

"You worry too much, and are too nervous, which won't help in getting information, or finding Allen. Your Time-thing might be able to help the sleepy-heads." Her gaze shifted once more, until she was staring at the gaping Krory.

"You could help us, but from what I've seen, you get lost a lot and don't know much about life outside a castle….oh and you can't talk. Definitely a minus. You too should help with the sleepy-heads." She looked around once more, noticing the very-red, pissed off Finn. She smirked as she listed his flaws.

"Again, you COUDLD be helpful, but you let emotions rule over your common sense. I think you should also help those guys, seeing as you would make an excellent spokes-person…"

Her voice held a slightly mocking tone, which drove Finn over the edge. He lunged with precision, grabbing hold of her throat and squeezing it slightly. In an instant, Tyki was by her side and had knocked the enraged man to the floor with a single, swift blow. Road smirked at the finder once more with fake innocence as she pouted.

"Hey now! No need to be so violent. I was just pointing out, Miranda is probably too nervous to talk and Krory can't!" she smirked once more, her argument made sense, but in truth she was just egging him on further. He growled once more from his position on the floor, as Tyki put his boot on the man's head.

"Guys, guys stop!" Lavi yelped, running over to try and put an end to the argument. Road smiled at him, surprising him to his very core.

"I guess you're the only who makes it then, right Lavi?"His cheeks reddened in embarrassment as he gave a quick nod. It took him a moment to realize the reason why he rushed in the first place.

"Oh yeah! I was thinking we should go talk to the criminals, they might know something." Both Tyki and Road nodded, as the rest of the group wore utterly confused expressions.

Road shook her head slowly before replying "We would tell you, but you all work for the Black Order, which means in turn, the Vatican. Who knows what they would do to get information out of you…" she trailed off, as both her, Lavi and Tyki shuddered simultaneously. The rest had no clue what they meant, but shrugged it off anyway.

It took hours of arguing, convincing and plain old throwing around insults until everyone finally gave in.

Finn was the most reluctant, but he was more disgusted at the thought of staying with two Noah, even if they weren't technically Noah anymore.

This ended in the situation Lavi, Road and Tyki currently found themselves in.

They were….lost.

Lavi was much too stubborn to admit it, which lead to repeated circled around the neighborhood. Even after seemingly hours of wandering, Lavi refused to admit it and just kept walking.

Tyki was growing inpatient, especially since Road had given up on walking right after they started, and had once again found a 'comfy' spot….Which meant giving his 'sister' a piggy back, achieving many odd glances along the way. It had been awhile since she last talked, until she broke the heavy silence.

"Look, Tyki, the rabbit is lost." Tyki chuckled at the nickname, he was sure he had heard it before. He was too absorbed in the comment to notice that the so-called rabbit had stopped moving…which lead to a collision, as well as a heap of bodies in awkward positions on the ground.

"Wh-what did you just call me?" Lavi stuttered back to Road, who was giggling childishly.

"Rabbit. It suits you…but wait, there was another name Allen told us… oh yeah!" she cried, punching the air with her fist. She smirked as she turned back to a confused-looking Lavi.

"Usagi." She drawled, her smirk widening as Lavi's expression turned into a beaming smile. He pointed behind him, still with the smile plastered over his face. Road realized what he was pointing at, the pulled Tyki's shoulder so he would see it to. He burst into laughter when he laid his eyes of the shabby looking building in front of them.

"So you finally found it, ay Usagi?" Lavi grunted in response, hauling himself to his feet, then helping both Road and Tyki in turn. The trio strode towards the doors, wondering if they would actually be able to talk with the criminals. With combined effort, they swung open the double doors to reveal a bustling police station, with policemen and detectives running left and right, either with papers or coffee in their hands. Almost instantly, Lavi spotted the chief he talked to earlier, and walked over to where he was frantically sorting through paper work. Lavi gave the chief a brief smile, before getting down to business.

"We are from the Black Order as you know, and we need to interview each of the criminals." The chief nodded shakily. He ran off, disappearing into the crowd as Lavi turned back to Road and Tyki, grinning like a maniac. Road broke into a grin as the two began to mutter to each other.

"Sure is fun scaring that guy."

"Yeah! Im surprised you can do it by just telling him where you're from!"

"Can't you do that too? I mean you're from the Clan of Noah and all…"

"Baka Usagi….do you think we just walk around in our Noah forms all day?"

"Well, I…" Lavi trailed off, rubbing his head, while smiling sheepishly. "…maybe?" Road collapsed in a fit of laughter, earning more than a few curious glances.

"Well, most of the time, if I tell a regular human that I'm a Noah….. They say 'that isn't a girl's name, sweetheart' Or something along those lines…." At this, it was Lavi's turn to have a laughing fit, while poor Tyki stood there, rubbing his temples, in a vain attempt to soothe the oncoming headache.

"You two should really act your age… I swear, even though you're, what…18? And you're….yeah, that one I don't know, but you both have the mental age of a 12 year old…." Lavi's grin doubled in size, and to his surprise, Road randomly sat down on the floor, proceeded to lie flat on the stone then crossed her arms over her chest.

Again, almost everyone was staring at the strange group of people, along with the little girl who seemed to be sleeping on the floor. Tyki was embarrassed…to say the least.

"Road! What are you doing?" he yelped, grabbing her hand and pulling her upright. She broke out once again into a wide grin.

"Acting my age, of course...I mean, I would be in the ground somewhere, right?" Tyki shook his head exasperated…that was NOT what he meant. Fortunately for Tyki, luck seemed to hold him in favor as the chief soon darted through the crowd and appeared in front of them, still wearing that anxious, slightly frightened expression that didn't fit his stature at all.

"Your first interview is ready now, please come along." Everyone followed obediently, though Lavi and Road were whispering to each other in hushed voices as Tyki was trying desperately to zone-out.

Before they knew it, they were pushed into an interview room with one single desk in the middle as well as a grandfather clock in the corner. On the opposing side of the desk, there was a man who looked no older than 20, staring at his cuffs without emotion. He had long, untamed black hair as well as emerald eyes. Lavi was the first to take a seat, still intently studying the man before him. He was also the first to speak up.

"So… what is you name?"

No response.

"What was your alias?" At his, he bit his lower lip before replying.

"Eman." Lavi nodded thoughtfully before responding.

"The Monster Without A Name…. What does it mean?" The man nodded before answering.

"Message."

"Message? What do you mean?" Lavi inquired, his fake grin set firmly in place.

"The first part of the message I must deliver." Lavi visibly tensed.

"To who?" He asked, only barely able to keep his calm.

"Tyki, Road, Lavi." Lavi gaped, as did both Tyki and Road…

How did he know their names?

"Who told you our names?" Lavi demanded.

"_He_ did."

"Who's he?"

Silence.

"I asked, Who's he?"

"The Monster."

"What do you mean?" Lavi almost shouted. The man shook his head, as if in despair before gazing up from his cuffs to look at Lavi straight in the eye.

"The second part of my message." Lavi instantly stood up, sending his chair flying backwards, as the two Noah were able to retain their calm….barely.

"örökkévalóság" Lavi's jaw almost dropped off, as he quickly pulled out a notepad and scrawled down what the man had said.

"What does it mean?" asked Road, worried at Lavi's reaction. Lavi quickly wrote its translation underneath.

_Eternity_

"What is the time?" the man asked, with a smile too tragic, it was hard to keep their faces completely emotionless.

Road glanced over at the tall, grandfather clock before replying "It is 1 minute to 1pm." The man's head fell as his gaze lingered once again on his iron cuffs.

"Goodbye…" he muttered. Road, Tyki and Lavi all tensed, having heard his farewell. They turned once again to face him, as the ticking seemed to grow louder and louder.

_Tick, _

_Tick, _

_Tick_…

Lavi almost missed the single tear that fell from his eyes, as the clock chimed loudly, only once. In an instant, the man was clutching his chest in pure agony, before he fell, face-first onto the table, dead.

Lavi, Tyki and Road were stunned, to say the least. They left the questioning room, shivering all over. All three were forced the sit in the waiting room while the next interview was being prepared. Many people had questioned them over the death of the criminal, but no action had been taken seeing as they were from the Black Order.

Lavi was gnawing at his nails out of nervousness, and Road was finding it difficult not to do the same. Tyki continued to smoke cigarettes, as only the increased pace at which he tore through each packet indicated some form of inner turmoil.

They all practically jumped out of their seats when the chief returned, leading them once again to the interview room.

This time around, there looked to be a middle-aged man who appeared to be in his mid 40s, sitting at the table calmly with a smirk plastered on his face. He had reasonably short brown hair, that was so oily, if a match was dropped on it, it could explode. He was wearing thick-rimmed glasses with such intense gleam that if shone white, covering the color of his eyes completely. Lavi was the first to sit down once more, but to his surprise, road was the first to speak up.

"I'm guessing you're 'A' from The Monster Without A Name." The man's smirk widened once she spoke up as he stared at her intently.

"Good, you must be the trio I am to deliver the message to. I find it better as we get this over with as I don't have much time left…." He trailed off, glancing at the ground as a very slight flicker of fear danced in his eyes.

"részére" he stated coldly, as Lavi pulled out his notepad and scrawled it down along with the last one. It took him a moment to translate it, but soon he had finished with two words on his notepad.

_Eternity _

_For_

Lavi noticed the man staring at the clock, as he too turned around to face it.

It was 1:59…

_Tick, _

_Tick,_

_Tick. _

The man's smirk stretched ear to ear as the clock chimed twice, for 2'O clock. He too involuntary clutched his heart for a split second, before collapsing exactly like the first.

There was no doubt about it…

He was dead….

Lavi shuddered…

Why was this happening?

Was it their fault?... just, just who?….

The day seemed to repeat itself, as the chief walked in to the interview room once more, only to discover a new dead body. He knew that he shouldn't let these strange people just kill whoever they felt like, but it wasn't like he was a choice. If they Vatican found out he disobeyed…he could be tried for heresy, or even worse, his family could be taken from him. That was something he couldn't let happen, so he blindly began leading the mysterious three people towards the third criminal. He opened the door for them, and left without a word, silently praying they wouldn't feel the need to kill the third.

The third criminal was different than the others.

He held not even the slightest bit of sanity, blabbering about what he was going to do in his garden the next day. It didn't take long for Lavi to realize that he was recounting his life…. Luckily they had arrived to interview the third earlier than the first two, about 20 minutes past two, so if his suspicions were correct, he shouldn't die for at least 40 minutes….

He didn't count on the criminal wasting the short time they had.

'Gardens, Pot plants, blah, blah.'

It was the most boring thing he had ever heard, and Lavi had heard the Panda give a lecture about the cultural history of chopsticks…yeah, he was pretty sure that had given a new meaning to the work 'dull'.

Something caught his ear, maybe it was how the man's face gleamed with pure happiness, or maybe it was what he was saying…

"Every week I would receive a letter see?

It would come, no matter what it would come. There was never a return address, or name, but it would come!

It was like I finally had a friend who understood me! I always did whatever the letter told me to, and then he told me to kill this guy. At the start I was all against it, because I thought murder was wrong, but then the letter came early, helping me get passed it.

Then, then I did what it said and killed him, at the time and place it told me to. I was too scared to run, and then these police came out of nowhere!

Oh, and um, there was something else; the letter told me to give you three a message. It told me you would come, and that when you did, my time would be up. I'm not scared though! Not me, never! But here's the message.

'**Fog alszik'**."

He immediately shut up, for once, staring at the clock with sad eyes.

Lavi wrote down what he said as fast as he could, and then turned his attention back to the criminal facing impending death. Still in his abnormally fast voice, he continued his rant.

"My plants, I loved them. They were like my family, they kept me company…but then they left me. I made sure my plants would never do that too…the letters never left me either.

I'm sad, because now I won't get any more letters, and I won't be able to take care of my plants.

But… I'm happy, because now I'll get to see my family again…." At that moment, Lavi realized that the clock had chimed three times, and now the man who previously wouldn't shut his trap, would never open it again…Lavi glanced down at the note he had written, quickly translating it as well.

Road and Tyki both peered over his shoulder, curious to read what it said.

_Eternity_

_For_

_Shall Sleep_

Sighing, they all left the interview room with yet another corpse laying there…it was turning out to be a more horrible day that Lavi could have ever imagined.

To their surprise, once they left the room, they were questioned by the chief on their reasons, and motives behind the murders.

Lavi, chosen as official spokes person had little luck convincing him that they actually played no part in the murders. Before they knew it, it was almost 4'O clock.

They rushed back into the interview room, as soon as the chief had released them. This time there was a woman sitting quietly in the room staring at her hands.

"Umm.." Lavi tried to start a conversation, but he already knew it was too late.

She glanced up, smiling at the trio before whispering "Tud én" Lavi once more, recorded what she had said, but not before smiling tragically back at her. She too, clutched her chest tightly as soon as the chime of the clock echoed through the stone room.

Lavi sighed rubbing his temples, as even Road had lost most of her ecstaticness.

_Eternity_

_For_

_Shall Sleep_

_Know Me_

Lavi allowed a low growl to escape his throat, this was making less and less sense by the victim. Road and Tyki both had bewildered expressions also, while they were staring at the notepad, attempting to make sense of it.

Lavi began biting at his nails in frustration.

They really needed to question the victims earlier, but by the looks of things, they would only just make it to the last before 5'O clock. It took a ridiculous amount of time for the chief to set up the interviews, though Lavi thought it was actually because he suspected himself, along with Tyki and Road.

For the fifth time, they were being lead to the same room.

Swinging the door open, the first thing they noticed was there was no occupant in the chair. Instead, there was a completely terrified looking man in his mid thirties huddling in the corner of the room. The chief had left instantly, as Lavi attempted to approach the cowering figure.

"What's wrong, 'The', what are you doing?" Lavi asked in the kindest voice he could muster. Tears began to steam down the man's face as he attempted to compose a response.

"Y-you guys are here…th-that means it's my turn… Please!" he cried, lunging at Lavi, desperately clinging to his shirt.

"You have to run! The Monster will find you! Please…. I-I'm done for… just, just get away while you can!" Lavi patted him on the head as gently as he could. They still needed the part of the message this guy had, and apart from that, he actually felt kind of sorry for the poor bloke.

"Sorry, we can't do that." Tyki replied, from his position on the chair. Road and Lavi nodded slowly in agreement, as 'The' shuddered horribly.

"Then, then I can help you! I, I heard him talking once…there is someone, the 'only survivor'. He, he is at a hospital near here! My…my message is… **Azok ki.."** he muttered, still whimpering loudly. Lavi raised an eye-brow, he had already translated it in his head, and if anything, it made the rest of the message much more confusing.

The clock began to chime….

Once,….

Twice….

Three times….

Four times…..

Five times….

The man clutched Lavi's shirt as he choked out one last dying word.

"Backwards" Lavi raised his other eyebrow while scribbling down the last part of the message.

_Eternity_

_For_

_Shall Sleep_

_Know Me_

_Those who_

Lavi still didn't understand… "Backwards?" he muttered to no one in particular, forgetting he had company.

"Lavi!" screamed Road in a higher pitch voice than he had thought possible. He turned around to see her frantically pointing at the scribbled notes.

"What?" he asked, in a harsher voice than he had meant. "I see it….the message…read it backwards…."

_Those who_

_Know Me_

_Shall Sleep_

_For_

_Eternity_


	5. Chapter 5 The Only Survivor

Chapter 5

**Author's Note: I just wanted to add, I never realized but for auto-correct, it changes 'moyashi' to 'megaship'. I just thought it was hilarious and had to put it in. Anyways! As always, enjoy and please read and review.**

He couldn't believe the position he was in….here was Kanda of all people, travelling on a train to nowhere, in a futile attempt to find Cross' search party, along with a certain white-haired moyashi. To think, he wouldn't be in this damn position if he had just refused! But no! Komui was determined to send him to find them… Ugh, it only started last night.

{Flashback}

"Kanda, may I see you in my office for a second?"

"Tch" Kanda proceeded to follow to an unusually serious navy-haired 'chief' back to his office. He had just returned from a mission collecting and retrieving General Tiedoll…a man who has an unhealthy obsession with treating him and Marie like his sons….it was just outright creepy.

Once they entered the room, Komui instantly shot to his desk that was literally buried in a mountain of paperwork. God know how he actually found his desk in there, let alone sat down on it. Kanda was annoyed…spending time with his least favorite general didn't help to improve his already sour mood, and now Komui was being over-dramatic.

"What." Kanda remarked as harshly as possible, letting Komui know to just get on with it.

"This is serious Kanda. I know you just arrived back and all, but I have to send you on an important mission…"

"Tch"

"Yesterday afternoon, General Cross arrived back at HQ." This statement caught the samurai's attention fully, as he knew that Cross had been missing for what… 3 years?

"He arrived claiming that he had in fact, ran into the group looking for him, but he said they disappeared."

…

"Your mission is to find them, and bring them back." Kanda turned around, about to walk out when Komui stopped him.

"There's one more thing…your orders are these. Allen Walker is to be killed on sight, for treason against the Vatican." He choked out the last sentence, as Kanda's eyes widened in surprise.

The Moyashi had been KIDNAPPED, hell he looked to be seriously injured, just how in hell could he be considered a traitor?

"Komui! What did he do?" Kanda snarled at a very shaken up Komui.

"I have no idea Kanda….the only thing I know, is the Vatican wants him dead."

{End Flashback}

Kanda sighed heavily while polishing Mugen. This was going to be a long day…

_Those Who_

_Know Me_

_Shall Sleep_

_For_

_Eternity…._

"I think, I think that is referring to Bookman and Lenalee!" Lavi gawked, mouth still hanging wide open.

"But…I wouldn't have thought they knew him very well at all…" Road replied, sounding slightly depressed. Ok…so she may had taken pride in the thought of knowing what Allen was truly like…how could she have been fooled so easily?

Little did she know, the two people next to her had the exact same thought running through their minds. Tyki was the first to speak up, breaking the increasingly heavy silence.

"Maybe…But I think they may know something else. Even if they don't realize it…" the last part of his statement was directed at a certain blue-haired exorcist, as both Road and Lavi caught this and chuckled slightly.

They all knew that Bookman would definitely know something….but Lenalee?

"Wait!" Lavi almost shouted, gaining the full attention of the other two occupants in the room.

"'The Only survivor'….could it be…that they also know something about Allen?" Both Tyki's and Road's jaws almost fell off at this, as they both attempted to sprint out of the room as fast as possible.

If he knows something..does that mean he is next?

They ran faster as the dreadful thought crossed their minds. By now, everyone was staring at the group of three, who were sprinting for no reason, towards the exit. The chief spotted them, and immediately feared the worse for the last criminal. He yelled at them to stop, but none paid any heed to his words. In an instant, they had collided with the door, ripping it off its hinges, but still they made no effort to slow down in the slightest.

Running, panting, gagging was all that filled the next ten minutes. Luckily, they had passed the hospital on the way, so Lavi knew where it was.

Eventually, the looming shape of the abnormally large hospital rose on the horizon. Their pace only increased, as did their desperation.

Within seconds, they had ripped another door off its hinges as they crashed to the ground in the middle of a completely empty hospital.

Lavi was the first to look around, as all he noticed apart from the expensive decorations and designs, was the shadows that crept around the room. There appeared to only be one other person there, who looked like a very confused and frightened nurse.

She wore the standard, white nurse's uniform, complete with a small hat as well. She had long, golden hair that curled near its ends, along with perfect mahogany eyes.

"Strike!" Lavi yelled, as love-hearts covered his only visible eye. This earned him to slaps to the back of the head, by the two frustrated, panting Noah.

"Mind I remind you why we're here, Usagi?" snarled a frustrated Road, along with Tyki who nodded grimly. Lavi nodded in respond while grinning cheekily and turning back to the now bewildered nurse.

"Excuse me; may we speak to some of the patients here?" Lavi asked as calmly as he could, failing dismally. The whole sentence was riddled with desperation and panic, making him seem like more of a maniac than he already appeared. He noticed the nurse's face fell at his words, as did her head as she stared at the ground emptily.

"Sorry, there are only two here.." She replied solemnly, her gaze unmoving off her small feet.

"Two?" Lavi exclaimed, while rubbing his forehead.

"I don't know what happened….almost a week ago they all started dropping like flies…The children were found dead outside, and it was determined they had been jumping off the roof…every adult died of a heart-attack….." Lavi gasped, while both Road and Tyki shrugged. It was nothing new really…except for the suicide part, yes that managed to catch the eye of both Noah.

"Only one child survived…and he only did so because the impact of the fall shattered his legs, but didn't damage any vital organs…"

"Can we speak to him?" Road interjected with a stern gaze.

The nurse nodded frivolously, as she began to totter in the direction of one of the only rooms in use. It didn't take them long, before they knew it they had arrived at a small white room, identical to the last few.

It had a single bed, complete with blinds around the only window and one small table with a lamp on it. The child looked no older than 8, and had a completely shaved head. His eyes were closed, but the large bandage obscured any vision of his hair that may have re-grown. Both his legs were in casts, as well as his torso covered in bandages.

Lavi gulped, the kid was in pretty terrible shape, but alive none the less…could he be who the criminal was talking about?

He sure looked like 'the only survivor'…

Lavi blinked, well more so winked seeing as only one eye was visible, but when he opened it, the child was now sitting straight up in the bed, glaring at him. The child, like Lavi had gleaming emerald eyes, but his were full of loathing, whereas the young bookman's were filled with mischievous and playfulness.

"What do you want." The child spat, at the three stunned visitors. Tyki was the first the regain his composure, and returned the harshness in his voice.

"We want to know what you do about Allen." Lavi didn't miss the widening of the kids eyes, but just a fraction, but other than that, there were no signs of recognition.

The child didn't answer, and kept his face fixed squarely on Lavi, which made the red head start to get edgy.

"You know, white hair, weird scar?" To everyone's surprise, the child broke out grinning, but not in a joyous way….it was anything but 'happy' it seemed regretful, but at the same time, filled with pride.

"'Course I know him…Who do you think the one who taught us the 'game' was?"

"The game?" Road questioned, before Lavi could even think of a suitable response.

"He was the one who opened our eyes….he said 'Death is only the beginning, that we should not fear it. He then taught us the game…"

Lavi's jaw hung open…he seemed to be doing that a lot today. Both of the Noah kept their cool, not allowing their nervousness and fear to appear at all on the face, or in their voice.

"The game was simple really…it would test who out of us was chosen by fate itself….I won." His smirk reached ear to ear by the end of his statement, making Lavi cringe slightly.

"What do you do in the game?" Road asked cautiously, as the boy closed his eyes slowly.

"I would demonstrate with you, seeing as you appear to be around the right age….but I was told different." He turned back to Road, giving her a cold, glare which she returned without a spare moment.

"Who told you?" she teased, sticking her tongue out slightly, making the kid chuckle.

"_He_ did. _He_ told me that you would come. A girl who appears a lot younger than she is, a red head who would pretend to be childish and harmless, but in reality, he was observing and studying me like a lab rat, and a third man who pretended he didn't care, but deep down he did….He was right, wasn't he?"

For the hundredth time that day, Lavi Road and Tyki were all speechless.

"The game. You challenge someone, and then you both climb to the roof. You stand on the very edge with your eyes closed, and then walk towards the other. The one who wins is the one who lives…" Lavi gasped in surprise, whereas Tyki and Road just nodded, they had suspected it was something like that…

"By the way….I'm not the 'survivor' you are looking for. That is another man…" he added, smirking at their gasps and exclamations. He turned over on his bed, so he was facing the other wall before shutting his eyes and attempting to fall asleep.

Meanwhile, the trio was racing out of the room in an attempt to find the nurse. The information they had just gathered was….a lot to digest, but they had to keep their priorities straight.

They found the nurse quickly, as she simply pointed in the direction of the other patient. They ran across the endless white hallways, until they eventually reached the room they were directed to. It was identical to the last, except for the elderly man who occupied the bed instead of a child. He to, was sitting up with his eyes wide open, yet they held a blank, dull look.

"Excuse me?" Lavi asked awkwardly, having been chosen as the unofficial spokes-person once again. The mad slowly craned his neck around so he was facing directly at the trio.

He a few patches left of short, gray hair along with a gray mustache. He had multiple scars on the left side of his face, as well as charred patch of the right side…it looked like the skin had actually burned off.

"You're here to ask me about '_him_', aren't you?"

Lavi responded with a meek "yes".

"I first met him a long time ago…more than ten years now…He would come to my apartment, and speak to me…I would tell him stories of the wars that I fought so long ago. He almost never spoke himself, but listened eagerly to whatever I had to say….

Every day it would be the same. He would always arrive at 1pm and leave at 5. This continued for 14 days, until he declared that he would be leaving, and he also mentioned that he would return to me someday…

Even though I knew him for 14 days….he was not the kind of person one could ever forget." He trailed off, glancing at the ground while silent tears slipped down his cheeks.

"What do you mean?" Road asked, truly curious about what the man meant.

"As I mentioned, I would tell him stories of war…You know, most children would enjoy them as an adventure….but not him.

He was solely interested in the fear.

That child was toying with fear!

He only cared about the expressions, the feelings, the emotions that we experienced right before imminent death…"

Lavi gaped. Just how old what Allen at this time? He would have been around 6!...

"He also gave me something to keep safe. It was a book, he told me it was a picture book, but he never told me the title… Allen came back to my room just the other night, and gave me other. The second was stained in blood I could tell, and he told me to keep it safe, just like the first."

"One, if he didn't tell you it's name, why didn't you just read it? Two, how did you know his name?" Road cut in, a few words off sounding completely hysterical. To their surprise, the old man chuckled in respond before gesturing to his eyes.

"I'm blind you see. I know it because he told me…. It was the last day he was with me, and after he announced his departure, I realized I still didn't know his name. I called out after his, asking what his name was, and you know what he said?

"I don't have a name. If you must, you can call me Allen."

The old man began fumbling with his bed sheets, until his eventually pulled out two thin books, holding them in the air victorious. He placed them both on his lap and smiled slightly at the gasps that echoed the room.

The two books covers were identical…almost.

Every detail was the same….except for the Monsters that adorned each cover.


	6. Discontinuation

**Author's note: Sorry guys. Due to some rather…harsh pm's, I have decided to stop posting this story. I will probably continue writing it, because it's a sort of hobby, and to not piss off my friends too much. I might post it once I completely finish, but this is a maybe.**

**Thank you to everyone who devoted their time to read my story.**


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